Ten People Face Drug-Related Charges

13 March 2018

He noted Saskatoon police are subject to the federal Good Samaritan law, which protects people who report an overdose from being charged with possession, or being charged with breaching conditions of a court order forbidding them to possess drugs.

In order to make members of the public aware of the potentially unsafe substance, police released the street name and the phone number of the drug dealer suspected of supplying the drugs.

A doctor is commending Saskatoon police for their response to a number of suspected overdoses on the weekend that resulted in two deaths from cocaine allegedly laced with fentanyl.

Three men from out of province, who are suspected of selling the drug, are in custody.

They issued a public safety advisory warning that cocaine purchased from an alleged dealer using the name "Lil Joe" or "Joe Bro" with the cellphone number 306-881-7300 could be laced with a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

Those facing drug charges are from Barrie and the GTA. Haye said since the arrests police have not received any more calls for fentanyl overdoses.

A man and a woman were pronounced dead, while others are in hospital recovering. "We believe that the public safety interests are of the greater need here", he told media.

Police Superintendent Dave Haye says anyone who comes forward won't be charged as this is a public safety matter.

But he also said the provincial government should do more to help people with mental-health problems and addictions.

Between the arrests and the search, police say they seized more than $14,000 in cash, 11.16 grams of cocaine/fentanyl, 149.88 grams of cocaine, 31.13 grams of heroin, and 34.44 grams of marijuana, a firearm and ammunition.

"The investigation into the deaths is ongoing, and once the major crime unit has completed that investigation, they'll share their findings with the provincial Crown and the federal Crown", Supt. "Whether one of them is using that name or not, I'm not sure right now", he said.

"The Saskatoon Police Service is not searching to pursue any charges for being in possession of the substance".